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Wales Air Ambulance will be decorated with rainbows for Pride Cymru’s Big Weekend

21 August 2017

Wales Air Ambulance will be flying over Wales decorated with rainbows to show their support for the LGBT community during Pride Cymru’s Big Weekend.

Pride Cymru’s Big Weekend celebrates and promotes the importance of LGBT in the community, as well as bringing more than 200,000 people together in Wales’ capital, and Wales Air Ambulance will be joining the celebrations to show solidarity with the cause.

The three-day celebration, from August 25 to 27, is full of music and entertainment, with a parade through Cardiff centre to celebrate the LGBT community.

Pride Cymru’s Big Weekend is one of the key events on Cardiff’s calendar, turning the City Hall lawn and the streets surrounding the civic centre into a carnival of colour, with funfair rides, amusements.

In support of Pride Cymru, the Welsh helicopter charity will be taking part in the Pride parade through Cardiff, with the charity’s mock helicopter featuring in the parade, decorated with a unique rainbow dragon tail design.

The charity will also be showcasing its support for the Pride Cymru celebrations by decorating its four lifesaving aircraft and with rainbows, which will be seen whilst the charity’s crews attend missions across Wales during the weekend.

Angela Hughes, Wales Air Ambulance Chief Executive, said: “We wanted to do something to show our support for the LGBT community during the Pride event in Wales.

“So, for Pride Cymru’s Big Weekend, each of our four helicopters based in Cardiff, Caernarfon, Llanelli and Welshpool will be decorated with rainbow badges, to show our support whilst they complete their missions across the country.”

Wales Air Ambulance attends around 240 missions every month, flying to the aid of people in Wales in their hour of need.

The charity needs to raise £6.5 million every year to fund its operations, with each of its missions costing around £1,500, funded by charitable donations.

Angela said: “If it weren’t for the support we receive from the people of Wales, we wouldn’t be able to keep our four helicopters flying.

“We are incredibly proud to be serving Wales, not only because it is a beautiful country rich with Welsh pride, but also because Pride Cymru’s Big Weekend shows what an accepting country Wales is, celebrating diversity and promoting equality.

“By flying across our nation with rainbow badges, we can show how we are here for everyone in Wales.”